You are browsing the archive for la marathon.

Proof that I can be two places at once, I bring you two perspectives of yesterday’s Los Angeles Marathon. This first is my obligatory timelapse of the thundering herd at the race’s seventh mile on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, as seen weirdly from a low-res cam literally duct-taped to the eyepiece of a 20X spotting scope:

Next I captured the street-level perspective of the event having gone down to cheer my neighbor Dean on who was running the race in support of and to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. When I got down there with my wife Susan I found another neighbor Ralph had brought his drum (and a killer St. Patty’s Day-green dye job to his goatee), so Susan went back and got my drum and together we banged on them as the parade of participants pranced past:

This weekend: Baja Night 2.0, post-St. Patrick’s Day beer-ing, and a little running. Or not.

SATURDAY

The last time Ricky (of Ricky’s Fish Tacos) and Mexicali Taco Company teamed up at a parking lot downtown for Baja Night, everyone from families to foodies came together to nosh on giant lobster tacos (courtesy Ricky) and generous cachetadas (courtesy Mexicali). The second edition of Baja Night (Baja Night 2.0) is on Saturday night, and Ricky promises more lobster tacos and a secret dish that he told me about here. Eating Ensenada-style fish and meat tacos in a parking lot under the warm glow of the downtown skyline and the biggest, brightest moon since 1983. If that’s not eating in LA, I don’t know what is. $Pay as you go. The night starts at 6pm at the parking lot on 1st and Beaudry.

My dog is not the only one celebrating a birthday on Saturday – The Egyptian Theater also is celebrating what would have been Sid Grauman’s 132nd birfday. Grauman found a few of the most iconic theaters in LA, including The Egyptian and the Chinese Theater. There will be a lecture about his life and career, a birthday cake, and a screening of Forever Hollywood, a documentary about – guess! – Hollywood. $9-11. The party starts at 2pm at The Egyptian in Hollywood.

Beer is the new wine. Finally. Cases in point: not one, but three, events focused on the suds are scheduled for Saturday. First, Angel City Breweryofficially opens its doors downtown. There will be beer, of course, and food trucks, of course. Second, Bakelab and The Surly Goat will host a Beer & Pretzels Lab in which you will learn how to bake pretzels and how to pair said pretzels with beer. And third, City Sip hosts a How to Home Brew class in which you will learn how to make an IPA. Gives new meaning to BYOB. Angel City Brewery’s party starts at noon at its new digs at 216 S. Alameda in the Arts District Downtown. $75 for Bakelab + Surly Goat’s class, which goes from noon to 3pm at Bakelab’s kitchen at 705 Vesta St., Inglewood. $50 for City Sip’s class, which starts at 1 at City Sip, 2150 Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park.

Descanso Gardens hosts the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. There will be Japanese tea ceremonies, cherry trees on sale, and guided walks through the beautiful grounds. Given everything that’s happened, this event will likely take a somewhat somber tone. :( $3 children, $6 seniors/students, $8 adults. From 10am to 5pm both Saturday and Sunday at the Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive in La Cañada Flintridge.

Snow in LA? No, I’m not talking about a few weeks ago. Long Beach is having a Snow Day, hauling in 10 tons of fresh snow to a park for you and the kids. Make snow art, go sledding, and pretend you won the lotto. Free. 11am to 3pm at Whaley Park, 5620 Atherton Street in Long Beach.

Runners will be taking their mark around 6am; the rest of us slackers will be sleeping and wake up to this interactive Google Mapped version to see what the runners have been doing all morning. The LA Marathon runs (heh) from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica; check out the road closures and plan to sleep in accordingly. Running from one side of town to another? I guess that’s one way to save gas.

Non-runners, forget your guilt about being not being able to run one mile, much less 26.2, and just head over to Domaine LA’s Anti-Marathon tasting. The wine shop will have a tasting, and the Get Your Lardon truck will be on hand with the bacon. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few unexpected guests with their own bibs happened to show up on their way to the ocean. 1pm to 4pm at Domaine LA, 6801 Melrose Ave.

As it is the first day of spring, Griffith Observatory will hold two “Spring Equinox” events, one at precisely 1:01pm and another at 7:05pm. I’m not sure what exactly these events will entail, but does it really matter? A day at the observatory for any reason is a great day. Free at the Griffith Observatory.

Sammy Hagar, the Van Halen frontman who defined rock for the ages, wrote a memoir. It’s only fitting, then, that Hagar shows up on the Sunset Strip at Book Soup to sign copies of his rock odyssey, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock. Note that this book is the only thing he’ll sign, so leave the pieces to your smashed axe at home. 5pm at Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood.

The Museum of Latin American Art celebrates the contributions of women in art with its annual Women’s Day Festival. There will be workshops, food, music, poetry readings, and a spotlight on artisan female jewelry designers from Brazil and Mexico. Best of all, the event is part of Target Free Sundays, meaning you get admission to the museum on Target’s dime. Free. 1 to 4pm at the Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Avenue in Long Beach.

It’s that time again! I understand the LA Marathon is a world-class athletic event offering us humans the possibility to excel and revel in our physicality, but for me, the LA Marathon means one thing: road closures.

This year’s route begins in downtown, heading south on Fig, and jogs around Exposition Park; proceeds west on Exposition Blvd. to jog south through Leimert Park; heads up to Rodeo ROAD via Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd; north on Crenshaw to Venice; then zigzags up La Cienega to Pico, executing a u-turn via San Vicente to Wilshire & 6th Street, heading east again through the Tar Pits area & Hancock Park; meanders around in Hancock Park/K-Town a little bit before heading to Olympic, pointed east; and then returns to its starting point downtown.